Saving Me
by No Sweeter Song
Summary: Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks centered. It's the early days at 12 Grimmauld Place, and an unlikely pair begins to form an even more unlikely attraction. Of course, they'll have the weight of the world to contend with, along with their own misgivings.
1. Chapter 1

Characters: Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin centered, but pretty much the whole OotP gang will get mentioned from time to time.

Summary: Based on the song by the same name by Nickelback. It's the early days at 12 Grimmauld Place, and an unlikely pair begins to form an even more unlikely attraction. Of course, they'll have the weight of the world to contend with, along with their own misgivings. Will the support and help of their friends get them to see where they belong?

Disclaimer: They're not mine. Oh, but how I wish they were!

* * *

Merlin, he was tired. And it was always the way, wasn't it? One would think after thirty years of transformations he'd grow use to the side effects and the pain and the fatigue that followed. But who could ever really adjust to that?

Instead, he lay curled on the small twin bed he used most often when staying at 12 Grimmauld Place. It was beneficial for him to fill one of the many rooms of the house, as not only was he already at Headquarters that way, but he was able to help keep Sirius from going stir crazy. Besides, having assistance before a transformation fully insured the safety of others.

The door to the room wasn't locked, but it was closed, and the knock made him jump. Shakily, Remus pulled himself into a sitting position. "Come in," he called, his voice hoarse. Sirius, more than likely, checking up on him. His friend was good for that.

But it wasn't a sleek, black sheet of hair that popped inside the door. Instead, it was a tiny, heart-shaped face beneath a wave of mahogany curls. Despite himself, Remus smiled. He couldn't understand what the young girl's draw to him was, especially at that time, but he appreciated her company just the same.

Tonks' head peered hesitantly through the door. At her first glance at him, he noticed her wince. He knew what she was seeing. Skin so pale it could literally be called white. A cold sweat broken out on his forehead. And he was considerably thinner in the pajamas he wore than he would be hidden beneath his usual robes, threadbare though they were. "It's all right, love," he said softly, his voice weak. "You can come in."

"I just wasn't sure," she began, in what he'd come to identify as her trademark ramble. "See, I was asking where you were and Sirius said you hadn't been feeling well and so I thought I should say something and then I realized what day it was and--"

She stopped as he lifted a hand, an amused smile on his face. "It's only the first day," he said quietly. "I'll be feeling considerably better by tomorrow."

And yet she still stood in the doorway, looking nervous. He started to say something, but was cut off by yet another appearance at the door. This one really was that familiar black head-black, being the literal term. "My little cousin bothering you, Moony?" Sirius asked, ruffling the mop of curls on Tonks' head. At his words, the young woman blushed furiously.

"No, not at all," Remus reassured, grinning at the exchange between the two. To have only regained her second-cousin recently, Tonks got along with Sirius brilliantly. Except, of course, when he was playing the teasing older cousin role.

Still somewhat pink in her cheeks, Tonks shrugged. "I can go, I don't mind."

Sirius flashed a mischievous smile. "I don't mind either, actually, what are you doing up here?"

Her blush returned full force. "I was just...seeing if...you know, I thought I'd see if Remus needed anything. I imagine you're a lousy nurse maid when he's under the weather." Tilting her chin with a hint of defiance, Tonks met her cousin's dark eyes, as if ready to issue a challenge-despite the fact that she was still a bright red.

Chuckling, the elder of the two of them shook his head. "I'll have you know I'm quite-"

"Lousy, at it, really," Remus interjected, shooting his friend another small smile. Turning his attention back to Tonks, his smile widened further. "Sirius tries, don't get me wrong, but I'm afraid thirteen years in Azkaban took its toll on his housekeeping skills. And that includes nursing."

Tonks all but beamed at his words, then quickly turned to give Sirius a smug look. "Is that so?" she said simply. "_I_ have the feeling Sirius wasn't much of a housekeeper _before_ Azkaban entered the picture."

Before Sirius could defend himself, Remus began nodding his agreement. "Our dorm always was a disaster," he admitted, a shy smile in place. "He insisted on blaming James, but I think you and I both know who caused the mess."

"Is this rib on Sirius day?" the man in question asked, though he was smiling widely. Despite the fact that he was the brunt of the joking, Sirius always did enjoy being the center of attention.

"It is, Padfoot," Remus agreed good-naturedly. "Is there a problem with that?"

Rolling his eyes, Sirius stepped further into the room, throwing himself rather undelicately at the foot of Remus' bed. "Not a one. Now Tonks, you were...?"

The girl's eyes widened, and she took a step back, further into the hallway as she'd never entirely entered the room. "Oh...well, I was just...you know, seeing if Remus needed anything..."

Touched by even the offer, Remus leaned against the wall, nodding toward her. "I could use some tea, if you were willing," he suggested.

His words had an almost instantaneous effect. Virtually glowing, she nodded. "Of course!" Eagerness filled her tone, and Remus felt something stir in his stomach-something he hadn't felt in a _very_ long time. "Milk and two sugars, right?"

So she'd been paying attention. Nodding, he smiled. "That sounds splendid, actually."

"You're going to drink her weak, bitter, sorry excuse for tea?" Sirius asked skeptically, then grunted as he felt something hit him in the back of the head. Turning, he glanced down at the lumpy pillow at his side. "How'd you...?"

"Some of us are better at transfiguration than you," Tonks replied with a breathy giggle. "You spent all your time learning to turn into a big ugly dog. I, on the other hand, can draw objects out of thin air. Like so..." She flicked her wand again, drawing up a chair. "Now sit in that, you're crushing the poor man's feet. I'll be back." Flashing her brightest smile in Remus' direction, she turned on her heel and flounced towards the staircase.

Remus flushed slightly under her smile, the first hint of color to his drawn face in days. Sirius at least had the sense to let Tonks get out of hearing distance before he commented on it. Standing, he did actually grab the chair she'd conjured, only he sat in it extremely carefully, as if afraid it would break at any moment. Whether due to her magic, or completely on purpose. "She's got it bad," he said casually, propping his feet on the edge of Remus' bed and pushing backward so the chair balanced on two legs. When he stayed upright, he figured it was safe enough.

Watching in amusement, sure his friend was going to topple over at any moment, Remus raised an eyebrow. "Got what?"

With a roll of his eyes, Sirius bent down, gingerly retrieving the pillow and making sure he stayed righted. "Oh, you know," he said, as non-chalantly as he had with his first comment, handing the pillow over to Remus.

"Humour me, Padfoot, pretend I've no idea what you're talking about." His pale cheeks flushed even darker, and he avoided Sirius' eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, just that little _Nymphadora_ fancies you." His stress on her full first name was said jokingly, as he'd often called her that just to be irritating. Which, she'd told him continuously, he was.

Sputtering, Remus propped the pillow-odd, that it should smell as she did-under his head and lay back. "No clue what you're talking about."

Sirius only smirked good-naturedly. "Right, old friend, I'm sure. You see, if I'm not mistaken, you fancy her as well. Much as you fancied Rita Skeeter back in school, only Miss Tonks is considerably prettier, smarter, and less annoying."

It did him no good to deny it of course. Sirius, even after all those years apart, could still read him like a book. But Remus avoided those dark eyes and shrugged cautiously. "Apparently the dementors did drive you mad; we're just now noticing it."

"Being locked up in this bloody house is what's driving me mad," Sirius replied, his tone bitter. "But that's not the point. Does she know how you feel? Because I'm relatively sure she'd just float right out the door with glee if she were to hear it."

"Sirius, think what you've just said," Remus attempted to reason. "She's twenty-three years old. I'm almost old enough to have fathered her. I haven't two knuts to rub together, I'm stuck up your sorry arse most of the time, and..." With a small sigh, he motioned to his position, reclined in the bed, his face and the viewable parts of his arms still showing the damage he'd done to himself during the previous night's transformation.

In a rather annoying sing-song, Sirius replied, "I don't think she caaares..."

Not at all surprised by his more reckless friend's reaction, Remus bristled. "She should. If she knew what was good for her, that is."

With a smile that would've been described as a smirk on anyone else, Sirius only lifted his eyebrows. "So you _do _fancy her."

"I didn't say that," Remus replied quickly. Too quickly. So what if all it took was a look from Tonks to make him smile? So what if she made him laugh, heartily, when she was around? Who cared that she was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen, not only with one hair colour or a certain style nose, but with any at all? It couldn't be. Surely Sirius could understand that.

But apparently, he couldn't, as the dark-haired man only smiled wider. "You do. I know you do. Who knows you better than me, Moony, really? Are you going to tell her?"

"Of course not!" Remus protested. He was ready to go off on a tangent about the hundreds of reasons _why _he wasn't going to tell her, but a crash sounded from the kitchen, along with Tonks' cry of, "Aww, fudge fly!" Despite himself-and the Sirius Inquisition-Remus had to grin.

Sighing, Sirius got to his feet, but a wicked little smile played on his features. "What do you suppose she's done now? Burnt down my kitchen? Oh, Mother would love to hear about that. If you hear screaming, it's because I decided to tell her."

Giving a half-hearted laugh, Remus lay back against the pillows, the one Tonks had conjured-the one with her scent-closest to his head. Maybe he was imagining it. After all, he had a dog's sense of smell, and it was particularly strong those days immediately before or after a transformation. Maybe...just maybe...he was hoping to have a piece of her around him. Which he really shouldn't.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks so much for the great reviews, everyone, keep it up! I live off of comments and feedback. Here's part 2 for you, your summary and disclaimers are all over in part 1 but so you know? I own nothing. Nyah.

* * *

He'd apparently fallen asleep. He must have, because the Tonks in his dream had had a full head of bright pink spikes, where the one his eyes fluttered open to had the same mop of unruly brown curls that he'd seen only a little before. "Sorry," he murmured, rubbing at his eyes, in an effort to clear the blurred line between the two young women.

"That's all right," Tonks supplied, setting a serving tray down on his bedside table. "You just dozed off is all, and... I didn't want to wake you, Sirius says you need your sleep."

Sleep could wait. He didn't get too many chances to talk to the young Auror, and wanted to take advantage of as many as he could. "No, no," Remus protested, sitting back up. With her in the room, the fragrance that had been haunting his dream had intensified tenfold. Either he was going mad, or Sirius was right. Neither was an exceedingly pleasing option. "I'm glad you woke me, one shouldn't sleep so much."

Her eyes-a bright brown, to match her hair-widened, apparently pleased with his response. "If you're sure... Molly said you could do with a bit of feeding up, too, and if I was already on my way up here..." Without meeting his eyes, she gestured-quite bashfully-to the tray at his side.

Touched, Remus looked it over. Molly's potato soup, a large chunk of bread, and even pumpkin pudding. If he wasn't mistaken, there was even more of it there than usual. Molly always was one to spoil him rotten, desperately attempting to fatten him up. "Have you eaten?" he asked her, and couldn't help a sharp tug at his senses when she flushed yet again in respone.

Tonks' eyes drifted from the floor, up to meet his, then back down. "No, not yet," she admitted.

"I'll make you an offer," he told her, hoping the eager schoolboy tone that sounded in his head wasn't sounding in hers. "Why don't you head downstairs and get a second tray? I could use the company." He wasn't sure where the words were coming from. It was so completely presumptuous of him. Why should she even want to? But his shame in himself turned to pleased surprise with her as she turned on her heel and hurried down the stairs. Remus didn't even want to imagine the grief anyone would give her as she asked for a second helping to take up the stairs.

By the time she returned, a portion of her soup had sloshed, and she'd gotten some tea in her pudding, but she did arrive in one piece, at least. "I brought an entire pot of tea," she told him, looking at him brightly as she attempted to balance the tray on her lap. When it failed more than once, Tonks growled in frustration and whipped out her wand, muttering a temporary sticking charm. "There now," she said, as she shifted her knees to a more comfortable position, "that's better."

Despite himself, he gave a soft laugh, shifting his own tray-sticking charm free-to his lap. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"Oh, it's no problem," Tonks began, stirring at the soup, pausing to mash a potato against the side of her bowl. "I mean, you've got to eat, yeah?"

Of course he did. So why was he finding it harder to eat that day than usual? "Molly could've sent one of the kids up. Or I could've just tried to come down. You didn't have to go through so much trouble."

Her cheeks turned pink again, and she avoided his eyes. "It was no trouble, Remus, really. Please quit acting like you're an imposition on me." But as soon as his eyes were back on his dinner, she glanced back up, watching him. He was a quiet eater, she noticed, his manner just as refined as he was doing anything else. For someone so many people considered a monster, she couldn't help but notice how impeccable his manners were, even though he wasn't at a table. Each bite was small, he never slurped, his mouth was always closed when chewing...

Tonks had been studying him so intently that when he glanced up, she dropped her spoon into her soup bowl with a clatter. Remus gave a small but amused smile, leaning over to refresh her tea. "Brown today?" he asked, and because she was still on a completely other train of thought, she almost missed his meaning.

"Hmm?"

"Your hair," he said with a small nod towards the cap of curls on her head. "Awfully tame."

Self-conciously, Tonks reached up a hand, touching the dark brown locks lightly. "You don't like it?"

What should it matter if he did or didn't? It was Remus' turn to flush as he shook his head lightly. "I never said that. It's just not your usual look."

The relaxation of her shoulders was actually visible. "It was my turn watching Harry this morning," she informed him. Remus felt a slight pull at the boy's name. He hated not being of more help, but if Harry saw him, he'd be easily recognized. "I just never changed it back."

"It's nice," he said carefully. No reason to make her think she looked anything less than gorgeous. "That's a good one for you." As most were.

The smile on her face was almost beaming. "You think so? I wasn't sure curls were the way to go, but I don't know, I like it."

"They're not bubblegum pink spikes," Remus reasoned good-naturedly, taking a bite of pudding, "but they're pretty."

For a second, Tonks' face fell. "You don't like the..." When she caught the smirk on his face, she playfully stuck her tongue out at him. "You're being a prat, Mr. R.J. Lupin."

Innocently, Remus touched the fingertips of one hand to his chest. "Me?" he said with a grin. "And what's with the initials? Haven't had anyone call me that since I taught at Hogwarts."

She'd forgotten he'd taught. And had forgotten why he'd stopped teaching. Namely because he didn't talk about it, and also because she really didn't find it fair. "Just for fun," she said teasingly. "What's the J for anyway? Jeremiah? Jacoby? Jerkface?"

With a look on his face that could only be described as angelic, Remus removed a pea from his soup and casually flicked it at her. It was so subtle, so easily done, that she didn't even realize he'd done it until the pea was sitting on her shoulder. Grinning at the indignant face she made, Remus shrugged lightly. "John, actually. Boring, I know."

"Anything's better than Nymphadora," she protested, groaning as she flicked the pea back in his direction. "Who does that to their child, really?"

He laughed, shrugging again. "So why just Tonks, then? Why not... I don't know, Nymph or Dora or...Phador?"

Ungraceful though it was, Tonks found herself laughing so hard she snorted. "Phador?" she yelped through her giggles.

Grinning, Remus nodded. "Sure, why not?"

Shaking off her giggles, she shook her head furiously. "Oh, you're too much. That sounds like something Sirius might've said." Inhaling deeply, she continued. "I'd never go by Nymph. Ever. I mean, do you know what nympho means?"

He blushed, though he couldn't say exactly why. "Yes, love, I'm fully aware of what it means. But nymphs are also some of the most beautiful women in Greek mythology."

Her eyes widened. Was he saying...? Dropping her gaze, she smiled somewhat shyly. "Well, let's just say most third year boys don't know what you seem to. It was the world's most terrible idea of a nickname. Mum and Dad call me Dora, though. Mum says it's silly to go by my surname in a house where there's three of us. Easy for her to say, her name's Andromeda. Dad has an easier time, I imagine, being a Ted, that one's simple and concise, you know?" She was rambling again, and to shut herself up, she forced another bite of pudding.

"Dora's a lovely name," he told her, smiling. "Then again, I don't think there's anything wrong with Nymphadora."

"You wouldn't," Tonks scoffed, but she was smirking teasingly.

Remus rolled his eyes. "And you think Remus is a joy of a name? There's no nicknames for that!"

Adopting the same innocent expression he'd used only moments earlier, she shrugged her shoulders. "We could call you Remmy," she teased in a high-pitched babyish tone.

Despite himself, he grinned widely. "Oh, I can see Sirius having a field day with that one."

"Can't you?" she continued her teasing. "I know it makes me giggle, so Sirius..."

"Something tells me the two of you should never have been introduced."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Again not mine. Ever heard of J.K. Rowling? Yeah? Well I'm not her. If I was I'D be hard at work on Book 7. Anyway, your reviews mean the world to me and keep me writing. We're still at 12GP here, and the setting should be a bit familiar, as I've always imagined it to be a common occurence at the house. Tonks is clumsy, Remus is thoughtful, Sirius is nosy, and a move finally gets made. Sort of. ;)

* * *

Three days past the full moon, and Remus was feeling almost completely normal. He was admittedly still tired, admittedly moving slower than he ordinarily would. Dumbledore wouldn't allow him out on any missions to speak of yet. But at least he was up and about on his own accord, helping Molly with dinner and watching in amusement as Tonks performed her various faces for the children.

"Do the beak, Tonks!" Ginny begged, laughing already at the nose Tonks described as a mushroom.

With a scrunch of her face, Tonks elongated and curved her nose, and Remus found himself startlingly reminded of Severus. "Snape?" he murmured in her ear as he delivered the flatware to her setting.

Tonks beamed up at him. "You guessed."

Shrugging good-naturedly, Remus placed a setting in front of Ron. "Hedwig did a number on that hand, didn't she?" he questioned, glancing over the wounds the bird had pecked into the webbing between Ron's thumb and forefinger.

Across from the redhead, Hermione held her hand up, too. "She wants answers. If I know Harry, he's going insane being cooped up there with those nasty relatives of his."

"Now, Hermione," Molly began, but she was interrupted by Sirius, who'd just come in from warding off Kreacher. "No, I know what she means. Harry went through hell recently and here we're keeping him in the dark. Tell me how that's fair?"

Molly's eyes narrowed to a point where even the other adults in the room shuddered. "It's for his own protection," she reminded Harry's godfather. "Dumbledore's only looking out for him. There's nothing he can do from Privet Drive anyway."

"And who's problem is that?" Sirius fired back, and Remus found himself stepping between the two. "Stay out of this," Sirius commanded.

Remus only shook his head slowly. "No. I know what both of you are trying to say. You're both only looking out for the boy's best interests. But you've got to trust the fact that Dumbledore would never do anything to hurt him. He knows what he's doing."

The air in the room had taken on a tension Remus hadn't expected, but he stood his ground, looking back and forth between the scowling Sirius and the glaring Molly. The children and Tonks shifted anxiously, waiting for an answer.

It was Sirius who, surprisingly, backed down first. Perhaps because Remus so rarely took a stand against him. "Fine," he muttered. "But when Harry gets here hating you all, no one had better blame me."

"No one will," Molly said quietly, turning back to the stove. "Ginny, dear, could you take the soup to the table, it's starting to boil over."

"Oh, I'll do it!" Tonks declared, apparently more than willing to help break up the tension in the room. Only Molly's features darkened and her face scrunched slightly. "No, dear, that's all right, I-" But it was too late. Tonks, in her eagerness to help, had spilled half the contents of the pot.

Though she didn't make a sound other than to mumble several apologies over and over to Molly, Remus noticed the liquid had burnt her hand and she was grimacing.. She was mid-apology-her fifth since the incident-when Remus walked over, taking her wrist.

Molly glanced up at him, and Remus caught something in her eyes. Something he hadn't expected to see. Recognition, perhaps, or dawning. "It's all right, dear," she said quietly, though her voice was tense. "I can finish here."

"Come with me," Remus said softly, guiding Tonks toward the hall.

She didn't speak-for once-until they'd reached the small bathroom closest to the kitchen. "What are we doing?" she questioned, and Remus had to stop and ask himself if he heard a note of fear in her voice. What surprised him most was that...he didn't.

Wordlessly, he slipped in the door, reaching into the small cabinet over the sink. Tonks' eyes were on him, but he continued working, the pace slow and easy. He removed a jar of salve, a potion they kept on hand in case of such emergencies. Of course, it was meant for larger wounds, ones that could be inflicted during battle. But it would work just as well for small burns. He also removed a mound of gauze and the small scissors from the cabinet.

"When did we get all of that?" she questioned, tilting her head.

Remus offered an almost shy smile as he began lightly dabbing the salve on the burnt portions of her hand. "We're at war now, love, there's supplies like these in most of the headquarters. That and Sirius is dead violent. Haven't you heard? Could slash us all in our sleep, have to have remedies on hand."

That made Tonks chuckle, despite the wince she gave when he had to touch the injured portion of her fingers. "He is a mass murderer, you know," she said, her tone serious. "Killed thirteen people and rot like that."

"Sounds dangerous all right," Remus agreed, smiling as he began wrapping her hand. "Lives with a werewolf, too, you know, they're likely to destroy the whole country."

"Bloody werewolves," Tonks replied, grinning up at him. "Honestly, all they do is nurture clumsy witches and care for young boys being chased by the Dark Lord and ask metapmorhmaguses to join them out for dinner. Wait, he hasn't done that bit yet, has he?"

He paused in his ministrations and took a deep breath before continuing. He noticed a slight shake to his hands, and forced them still before he finished working. "No, I don't believe he has." Cutting the gauze, he tucked it in and placed the same sticking charm on it that she'd used on her dinner tray.

"Well, I think he should," she replied smartly, giving a saucy tilt of her head. Her hair was pink again, but to her shoulders, and it flounced as she turned on her heel to head back towards the kitchen. Grinning over her shoulder at him, she winked. "Coming, Remus?"

More confused than he'd been in years, Remus nodded slowly. Was she saying what he thought she was?

Tonks was already well down the hallway when Remus emerged from the tiny powder room, shaking his head in a mixture of amusement and bafflement. He was still several feet from the door, and when Sirius opened it, Remus made a grab for his friend's elbow and yanked him down the hall. "What the hell, mate?" Sirius complained, but his tone was playful, mischievous.

"Help me."

Sirius' eyes grew wide, and he tilted his head, watching Remus for a moment. "What is it? Are you all right? Was the Wolfsbane not right this time? I'll kill Severus Snape, I swear I'll-"

"Shut up," Remus protested, waving his hand. "And keep your voice down. No, it's... I think your cousin just asked me on a date. Or asked me to ask her on one, I don't know, I just..." Drifting off, he grimaced. "I sound like an idiot, don't I?"

A mixture of expressions crossed Sirius' face. First surprise. Then shock. Then confusion. But finally, it ended with an amused smirk. "I knew it," he muttered, his voice showing exactly what he thought.

Still somewhat panicked, Remus' eyes narrowed. "Knew what?" he asked slowly.

Sirius simply grinned.

"Knew what?" Remus repeated, much more urgently.

"That she fancies you. And if I'm not mistaken-which I never am-you fancy her, as well."

Remus let the words sit between them. He was crazy. It was official. "You're as mad as they all say you are, you know."

Shrugging, Sirius turned and took a step down the hall. "Suit yourself, then."

"Wait," Remus pleaded desperately. "You know I was lousy with women in school, I've been no better as the years have gone on, please?"

Sirius whirled around, but when he faced Remus, he had a large, wide smile on his face. "Tell me something first. Do you fancy her?"

Swallowing hard, Remus nodded and gave a small shrug. "I don't know. I think so. But...Sirius, surely you know that...this? It can't be. We can't."

"You can," Sirius declared affirmatively. "And I'm going to help you."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** HAHA not mine still. Just making sure you know and no one tries to sue me. ROWLING LOVES FANFIC SHE SAID SO! So this little baby is something I always wondered about in OotP so...I wrote it. But just because we're in a room full of Order Members, don't think that there's not still the usual romantic spark...because of course, there is!

* * *

Despite Sirius' constant hounding, Remus let Tonks' comment slide as action at 12 Grimmauld Place began to pick up. There was no denying there were other things on his mind as he and the other members of the Order gathered in Sirius' basement, ready to make a few crucial decisions regarding one Harry Potter.

"So you see," Arthur said quickly, glancing at the group gathered around them, "the Dursleys, relatives though they may be, aren't even a suitable location for Harry during a normal summer, let alone this time of...well, intense need, really."

Sirius mumbled something incoherent under his breath, and Remus shot him a quick warning look. He noticed the look Dumbledore gave him, however, was much more benign. "I don't think," Dumbledore began, "that there's any doubt Harry's not safe just anywhere any longer. Apparently, even keeping round the clock watch on him isn't working any longer." Though the rest of the group had turned to Mundungus with evil glares, Dumbledore only chuckled. "It's about time we had Harry with us here at Headquarters anyway, I'll find most of you agree."

An evident look of relief crossed the features of most of the members seated around the room, especially Molly, who-despite being offered a chair numerous times-had been standing and pacing. "Dementors," she muttered angrily. "In Surrey. What next, Dumbledore? It's only right that he come with us, everyone here is more his family than _those _people."

Instead of looking angry with the plump redhead, Dumbledore only continued to smile. "Molly, I know how it seems. I have my reasons for wanting him to stay with his mother's family. But I agree, with his hearing on the horizon and the Ministry doubting his every word, I think it is time to bring him under our care. Now, the problem becomes how to get him there."

"There's floo powder," Arthur chimed in. "That's how we got him for the Quidditch World Cup."

"The Floo Network will be watched," Kingsley piped in. "Godric only knows how Fudge would react finding out we're all moving him back and forth, even if we don't bring him straight here."

The Order members began to look discouraged. "A Portkey?" Emmeline asked, not taking her dark eyes off of Dumbledore's bright blue ones for a moment.

"Also watched," Remus replied, looking thoughtful. It was starting to seem hopeless.

Mundungus smiled somewhat wickedly. "No one 'as to know," he started slowly, but was cut off by a sharp glare from Minerva. "Do you really think that's wise, Fletcher?" she asked, her voice short. The man shook his head slowly, and Dumbledore nodded at Moody.

"What do you think, Alastor?" he questioned, lifting an eyebrow.

The others fell silent, all chatting and arguing stopping short. Everyone had leaned in, as if waiting anxiously for the word from Moody. "I say we go after him. We'll need a guard-just a few of us-and we'll need to draw those blasted Dursleys away from the house."

The muttering picked back up as if it had never stopped. "Are you sure that's safe, Moody?" Sirius questioned, apparently anxious.

"Of course it's not," Moody replied gruffly, and despite himself, Remus grinned. Across the table from him, the sparkling brown eyes of Tonks flickered over his face, and before he knew it, she'd grinned, too. It inspired him, really, and he ducked his head, almost wishing he hadn't seen what he just had. "We'll need a group to cover him. Lupin, you said he can fly all right?"

Glad to have something else to focus on, Remus glanced up with a nod. "One of the best. I think he's capable of the journey."

Next to him, Sirius nodded. "He'll be fine, he's not James' son for nothing."

A short moment of silence passed between the members before anyone spoke. Despite the proud tone of Sirius' voice, he'd reminded them of why they were all there. To protect James and Lily's only child. Moody was the one to break the silence. "Good, then. Now, we'll need a few to go." Almost every hand in the room went up. "Well, I can't possibly take you all."

"I think," Dumbledore interrupted, "you'll find it wise to take someone the boy knows, instead of just a group of strangers. After everything he's been through, he's likely to Stupefy at least a couple of you." For a moment, Sirius looked bright and eager, then his face fell as Dumbledore added, "May I suggest Remus?"

"Me?" Remus' eyes widened, and he tried to ignore the hurt look on the face of the man next to him.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, you. Harry trusts you. And I don't think," he continued, with a glance at Moody, "that he'll think you're a-_ahem-_imposter." Before Remus could possibly stand a chance of replying, Dumbledore surveyed the witches and wizards in front of him. "Emmeline, Dedalus, Hestia...Sturgis..." He seemed to be thinking over each decision carefully, though no one in the room could say for sure why he was choosing the wizards he was. "Elphias...and Kingsley." There was an obvious drop off to his voice, as if he'd reached the end of his list. There was no denying the crestfallen faces in the room, save for the smirk on Severus' and the grins of those who'd been chosen. But, almost as if an afterthought, Dumbledore flashed his twinkling eyes down the table and added, "And Nymphadora."

Most of the others were so used to getting their heads chewed off if they used Tonks' full name, that at first they didn't recognize the final addition. But Remus did. He was finally getting a mission with the youngest Auror. And despite the fact that he knew he shouldn't, he found himself actually looking forward to getting Harry for more reasons than one.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** And now we're back to the good stuff. Not mine, don't sue me, I haven't got two galleons to rub together. (Remus' phrase, not mine, I'm borrowing) Thanks to all of you loyal readers for sticking around through Chapter 4 in all its plot fodder. And now, enjoy the next! Let's kick out some Dursleys.

* * *

"What're you writing?" a voice asked behind him, and Remus glanced up.

The voice was, by then, familiar, and he flashed her a smile as Tonks joined him at the table. "Nothing, yet. I'm simply trying to find a way to rouse the Dursleys away from their home while we go in." Their flight was scheduled for the next night, and if he were to be sure they were leaving, he needed to move quickly.

Tonks watched him write, though she realized a moment later he was simply jotting ideas. "Can I help?" she questioned, wondering if it was somehow too forward. He hadn't acknowledged her comment just outside of the kitchen and she figured she'd simply stepped over a line or two. For the last few days, she'd been attempting to lay low. But she was already at Headquarters, and it couldn't possibly hurt to pop in and at least say hello.

Remus looked up at her, meeting deep blue eyes. Her hair, that day, was a jet black color, the contrast between hair and eyes startling. Remus actually blinked at her for a moment before smiling slightly. "Of course you may. If you can think of a way to get three rather horrid Muggles out of a house for a day."

"Define horrid," she questioned, leaning forward a bit and propping her chin in her hand. Those stunning blue eyes hit him again, and he flushed slightly.

With a slightly playful smirk, Remus fixed her with a gaze of his own and recited, "rough, bristling; innately offensive or repulsive; inspiring horror; inspiring disgust or loathing."

Those blue eyes widened, and she sat up a bit straighter, pushing some of the dark hair over her shoulder. "Bloody hell, Remus, have you memorized the entire dictionary?"

He laughed lightly, giving a half shrug. "Parts of it, yes."

"Really?"

Her shock amused him, and he set his quill down and glanced across the table at her with a grin. "Not a reader, love?"

Tonks flushed, and for a moment he feared he'd offended her. But when she glanced back up, she was smiling shyly. "I like to read, don't get me wrong, but Merriam's isn't exactly my idea of a fun afternoon."

"I spent a good part of my life with not much else to do," he informed her, his expression bittersweet. "There was a time when I'd read anything I could get my hands on. The Quibbler, Chocolate Frog cards, the back of potions bottles. I had my textbooks memorized before some even cracked the spine."

The look she was giving him was wide-eyed with her jaw open. Interpreting it as one of horror, Remus ducked his head and picked the quill back up, rolling it between his fingers. "Geeky, I know."

"No," she protested quickly. "Well, yes, it is, but it's just that I've never met anyone else who could do that. Other than Hermione, I mean, and she seems more the type."

Lifting an eyebrow, he looked back up and studied her carefully. "More the type? What does that mean, exactly?"

Tonks blushed again, feeling as if she were digging herself a giant hole. "Well, you know. She hangs out with different people than you did."

At that, Remus gave a crooked grin. "You think so? Harry and Ron aren't that much different from who James and Sirius were in my day. If they'd socialized with a girl instead of Peter and I, it'd be almost like watching history repeat itself." His voice dropped an octave as he glanced around.

It took everything in her to ask, "What were they like? James and...and Peter."

He almost didn't want to answer. But she'd asked so honestly, and she deserved an answer. "James could do no wrong, or so he thought." Despite his friend's passing, it was still easier to talk about him than Wormtail. "He and Sirius were the golden boys, bold, bright, flirtatious. The girls fell all over each other trying to get the two of them."

"But James was the only one of you to get married," Tonks pointed out, then clamped her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me, wasn't it?"

Remus chuckled, shaking his head and holding up a hand. "No, no, you're only stating fact. Sirius never settled down, Peter didn't have the confidence to ask anyone out, and I..." Hesitantly, he took a breath. "Most girls aren't too pleased to find out they're seeing a werewolf."

"I-" She cut her statement off quickly, realizing just how bold she'd almost gotten.

"It's all right," he reassured quietly. "Honestly. I've gotten used to it over the years, and it's not like I'm lonely."

That wasn't entirely true, though. She could see it in his eyes, mostly when he spoke of his friends that he'd lost. James and Peter's murders and Sirius' imprisonment, and the eventual realization that Peter was alive but guilty had obviously affected him more than he spoke of.

Determined to erase the frown line that had appeared inbetween his eyebrows, Tonks changed the subject in her most cheery tone. "So, how are we getting those wretched Dursleys out? Are they those overly neat Muggles who keep everything spic and span? We could sneak in and trash the house so they're determined to leave."

Smiling at that, Remus shook his head. "Somehow I don't think that would work. They'd probably simply blame Harry for the disaster; it's not as if he gets to leave the house often."

Tonks winced for the boy she hadn't yet met. "Their garden is immaculate. Annoyingly so, if you ask me, and we'll simply pretend you did."

"Some Muggles have a tendency for that. Little men dressed in funny hats sitting outside. I've even seen some where they keep flamingos outdoors, can you imagine? They're made of plastic, and immobile, and yet they just keep them standing there."

"We could steal one," Tonks added with a giggle. "And they could go off looking for it. Oh, that actually sounds delightful."

Remus' small smile had turned into a wide, embellished grin. "Oh, come now, love, do you really think they'd go chasing one of those flamingos? Though they hate magic, I'd love to enchant one so it goes traipsing through their yard." They shared a laugh over the idea of a pink flamingo prancing around Privet Drive, and then Remus grew thoughtful. "Muggles have competitions...battles with each other to see whose lawn is more impeccable. Suppose they were to win one?"

For a second, she looked at him blankly, but it only took a moment for her to catch on. "And, of course, their foolish pride would have to send them to get their prize."

"Which would, of course, be located plenty far enough away for them to have to drive there. And by the time they returned..."

"No more Harry!" Tonks finished with a flourish. Reaching over, she took the quill from his hand and pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment. "Let me compose this, you've the handwriting of a male."

Looking somewhat smug, Remus shrugged. "I am a male, in case you hadn't noticed."

It was with a sly look that Tonks peered at him, those bright blue eyes peeking up through dark black lashes. "Oh," she said casually, beginning to scribble. "I've noticed."

Immediately, his mouth closed and he flushed furiously. It was the first time she'd said anything quite so bold as that since the day she'd burnt herself. "Well, I'm glad to hear that, I'd hate to think all you'd seen was my more feminine side."

"Remus Lupin, do you even have a feminine side?"

Remus smiled almost angelically and shrugged, leaning close to see what she'd written so far. "Yeah, I do, actually. We'll have to send this through Muggle post."

Tonks gave him an almost pitying look, as if reasoning with a small child. Which he often wondered if that's what she felt like she was doing. "Don't be ridiculous, Remus, I'll simply slide it into their post when I do my watch today."

"You've got Harry duty, do you?" He realized, then, that he hadn't pulled back from peeking at her writing, and did so quickly. So quickly he almost set himself off balance.

Glancing at him, she looked almost as if she knew the effect she'd had on him. "I do. I just wish I could get close enough to really see him, you know?"

He shot her a crooked smile and shrugged. "No, I don't, actually. I taught him for a year, after all. You've seen pictures of James. Give him Lily's eyes, and there you are."

"You're impossible," she declared saucily, adding a final flourish on the writing she'd just done. "I should go see if Hermione has any actual paper for this, Muggles don't write on parchment, do they?"

Remus shook his head again, still flashing her a grin. "Nope. You should probably get on that, shouldn't you? You and your girly handwriting."

Lifting an eyebrow, Tonks took the parchment in hand and stood, walking towards the staircase. "Well, in case you hadn't noticed, Mr. Lupin, I am a girl."

"Oh believe me," he replied in an identical tone to the one she'd used earlier. "I've noticed."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Have I mentioned reviews are crack? In the last round, an excellent point was brought up, and I feel I should address it. Yes, Remus does address Tonks as 'love', even in these early stages. With most of my British characters, HP and outside, my guys use the term 'love' as a general term of endearment. I feel Remus is a confident character, even if he's not exactly sure-footed when it comes to a certain Auror. However, thanks to Rogue-aka-Nettie, you'll be getting a chapter concerning that more directly towards the end.

P.S. I own nothing you see here.

* * *

The house was finally starting to feel settled. It was quiet, but comfortably so, instead of that thick tension that had hung between them all when Harry had first arrived. All that filled the house that night was the sound of the ancient Black manor creaking and settling. 

Most everyone was asleep, and very much so. From down the hall, Remus could hear Sirius' snores, as loud and rumbling as they were during their days at school. One of the Weasleys-Arthur, most likely-snorted in their sleep in the room next to him. If he wasn't mistaken, he heard laughter from the other side of the house. Harry, Ron, and the twins, more than likely.

But that wasn't the sound that caused Remus to sit up in bed, his ear tuned to the hallway. The manor was relatively full that week. Along with Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys, they were also playing host to a number of Order members, though most had taken up residence on the third floor or in the basement. The only ones on the second floor were Tonks and Mad-Eye.

Granted, it was quite possible Mad-Eye had simply had another moment of panic. But Remus heard the noise again, and when he focused on it, it sounded like a cry, or a yelp. A feminine voice-one that definitely wasn't Mad-Eye's.

It could've been the boys playing around, of course, but Remus' first instinct was to find the source of the sound. Pulling on his dressing gown, he stepped into the hallway, listening carefully. The sound came again, softer. It was in the direction of the room Hermione and Ginny were sharing, and he rushed toward the room, pausing and listening from time to time. But when he reached the girls' room, the only sound coming from inside was the occasional muttering of Hermione in her sleep.

Frustrated, Remus leaned against the wall, listening and waiting. He heard a soft chuckle that was distinctly George. A hushed whispering from Harry. It was a moment where Remus desperately wished he had a pair of those extendable ears the twins had created.

A moment later, though, he was rewarded for his patience. The sound came again, much louder and more...hurt? Remus didn't give himself time to think, he simply followed the voice until he reached the door to Tonks' room.

There was no way he was going to go barging into the young woman's room. None at all. He listened a moment longer, and when he heard her cry out again, he rapped gently on the door. She didn't answer, and still seemed to be deeply asleep. Sighing anxiously, he knocked again, calling her name softly.

Whatever was causing her to whimper had her so deeply involved, she still didn't seem to stir. With a hesitant breath, Remus pushed the door open carefully, peeking his head inside. Nothing was attacking her. Nothing visible to him, at least, who was awake. Tonks, on the other hand, was deep in the throes of what appeared to be a nightmare.

He walked slowly to her side, reaching out and touching her shoulder firmly. She seemed to almost not feel him there, though he felt her still in her thrashing for a brief moment. Increasing the pressure of his touch, he added, "Tonks? Tonks, wake up, love, you're all right now. No one's hurting you."

She did wake, and with a start. Jolting upright, she seemed to be fumbling for her wand, getting her hand under her pillow before her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room and focused on him. "I... Bloody hell... Cripes, Remus, I..." Her voice drifted off and she pulled the sheet around her, though as far as he could tell, she was more than fully clothed.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, feeling more than a little awkward now that he knew she was safe. "I shouldn't have interfered, you just seemed...distraught." It was hardly an adequate word for the girl who'd been crying in her sleep-he could see the tear-stained cheeks even in the dimly moonlit room.

Visibly shaking, Tonks shook her head. He noticed her hair was a brilliant blue colour that night-one that oddly matched the colour of the sky outside. "I... No, thank you. I wasn't..." She seemed to be having trouble catching her breath, and he absently took a seat at the edge of her small bed. What he hadn't expected, though, was for her to lean forward, nestling into him.

Remus was caught off guard. At first, he tensed, waiting to see if it was just a mistake on her part. When she didn't immediately pull away, though, he slowly slid his arms around her small figure. "It's all right," he murmured, keeping his voice down in order not to wake anyone around them. "I'm here, no one's hurting you."

The sniff she gave was audible, and when she finally pulled away, she turned her head. He had the feeling she wasn't the type who often let people see her cry. Tonks wiped brusquely at her eyes and cheeks, until he took her hands in his, encircling her small wrists. "There, now, don't hurt yourself. Do you want to talk about it?"

She seemed hesitant at first, and he truly believed she was going to simply brush him off and send him away. Instead, she took a deep breath and nodded. "We were bringing Harry back." It sounded so simple. "And we were intercepted."

It didn't sound entirely menacing, but Remus knew there were hundreds of things that could have been the cause. Terrors only visible to the one seeing it. "What happened?"

"It was him," she whispered, her voice choked.

He didn't even have to ask who she meant. "Voldemort?" he confirmed.

Choking out a small laugh, Tonks nodded her agreement. "Godric, Remus, you don't even blink when you say that."

"Fear of the name-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, only increases fear of the thing itself. But if he's anything like he was in my dream..."

Almost instinctively, Remus reached forward, gently brushing some of the blue locks off of her face. "Worse, actually."

Her voice was sarcastic, but her face was softly genuine as she murmured, "how comforting."

"Just being honest with you," he said quietly. "Would you rather me let you walk into it blindly?"

She was almost hesitant as she replied. "No, I suppose not."

Smiling slightly, Remus gave the tiniest shrug of his shoulders, one she might've missed if she weren't still so very close to him. "I take it we didn't win in this dream of yours."

Her eyes darkened. What had been a light blue, contrasting with her hair, had shifted to match, or perhaps become even darker. "We were all killed. And Harry... I tried, Remus, I did."

"I know," he murmured. "But nothing happened. We're all safe. Mad-Eye made sure of that."

"And what happens when he's not there? Or when we can't do enough?"

He couldn't stop her train of thought. Not when he often feared the same things himself. Instead, he reached for her hand, enclosing it in his. "Do you trust Dumbledore? And the Order?"

Slowly, she nodded. "Of course I do," she replied, giving his hand the smallest of squeezes. With a set determination on her face, she smiled up at him, suddenly shyer now that her fears had been revealed. "Did I wake you? Was I really that...well, loud?"

Remus grinned good-naturedly and shook his head. "No, not really. I doubt you woke anyone else." After all, no one else had gone charging to her room like a bleeding idiot. "I've got a slightly better sense of hearing than most."

"Oh," Tonks replied easily. "Because of the dog thing."

Chuckling, he nodded. "Yes, exactly. Admittedly, I was a bit worried about you, though. Well...all right, at first I thought you might have been Ginny or Hermione."

Her eyes widened, and despite herself, she giggled. "Really?" she questioned, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"Mmm hmm," he agreed. "Did you know Hermione talks in her sleep? She was my first check."

"Really?" Tonks questioned with a giggle. "Like what? In her dreams, or something?"

Remus tried to force back a smile, but couldn't quite help himself. "Something about her OWLs. And boggarts. In other words, typical Hermione." He stood, giving her hand another squeeze before releasing it. "Think you can get back to sleep?"

There was something in her eyes-something that held him back. He paused, watching her for a drawn out moment. When she finally broke the eye-contact, he relaxed. "I'll be fine. And...and thank you, Remus. For...well, you know, caring enough to come check on me."

"Anytime, love," he told her, standing in the doorway and smiling in her direction. "Absolutely any time."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Me again. Thought me and the story died, didn't you? Not exactly-my insane self decided to do NaNoWriMo this year. Now I've saved up a few chapters of the story, but I'm spreading them out so you've got something to last till my 50,000 words are in. Reviews are crack, feed the addiction. And yeah, it DOES feel like I'm jumping around a little, but I've got to stretch out this attraction for at least a few months, see. D The action shall pick up QUITE soon.

**P.S.** I don't own them, the Scottish Muggle does.

* * *

Remus had kept to himself the events that had unfolded the night in Tonks' room. As far as he could tell, so had she, though Remus found himself looking around at the others with a slight sense of paranoia. Would anyone think he'd overstepped his boundaries? Had he crossed some line that wasn't to be touched? 

Fact was, he hadn't meant to. His goal was simply to make sure the person who'd been having such a restless night was all right, perhaps let them get their bearings, and leave. But it hadn't been just anyone. And the way she'd clung to him...

But when no one mentioned what had happened, and the only acknowledgment from Tonks had been a small smile across the much too crowded breakfast table, he'd let the whole night slide.

The children had left only that week, and the house had reached an almost eerie quiet with only himself, Sirius, and the occasional Order member. Molly had returned to the Burrow, despite Sirius' teasing that the rest of them would starve. The two had settled into a much easier friendship once the tension of having Harry in the room had waned. However, the fact remained that she had gone home to take care of housekeeping, and Sirius and Remus really were left to fend for themselves.

"Come on, Padfoot," Remus begged, glancing up from the book he was reading. "You can come up with something, can't you?"

Sirius glanced sideways and smirked. "You're talking to the man who survived on chicken bones and table scraps for a year."

Lifting an eyebrow, Remus only returned the smirk. "No, I'm talking to the man who can't survive without a nice hot meal. Switch for me, then I'll talk to the table scrap eater."

Giving a yawn and a long, drawn-out stretch, Sirius grinned. "But if I go doglike, then you really will have to see about dinner, won't you?" And completely on cue, Sirius closed his eyes and changed into the large black dog, not even budging from his spot on the couch.

Remus rolled his eyes and set his book down, pulling himself to his feet. "I'll see what I can scrounge up, you mongrel. Sometimes I think we should get you a little four-legged girlfriend." 'Snuffles'' ears perked up, and Remus groaned and threw a pillow at his then furry friend.

Wandering into the kitchen, he gave a sigh as he prepared to actually have to cook-something he'd grown to despise doing over the years. Eating out was preferable, but not quite as simple when one could hardly afford to eat in, let alone out. Surely they'd kept something simple on hand...

But Remus' pondering came to an abrupt halt as he stopped short just inside the kitchen door. There, at the stove, was a small but familiar figure. Her hair was in the short, spiky style he'd come to associate most directly with her, and the colour was a bright pink, with black streaks. Looking as if she were born to stand in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place, Tonks stood stirring something in a pan.

At first he couldn't speak, and his presence probably wouldn't have even been noticed if the door hadn't shut with a bang behind him.

Tonks didn't jump at the sound, merely grinned over her shoulder. "Wotcher, Remus," she offered, before turning her attention back to the stove.

Still staring in surprise, Remus barely stammered out a hello before he blurted, "What are you doing here?"

Not that it should have stunned him quite as much as it did. Order members were constantly popping in and out of the downstairs portion of the mansion. But to find her there, cooking, when he'd least expected it...

She flashed him another smile before reaching into the cupboard for three plates. He winced at first, then smiled at how carefully she'd performed the act, as if determined not to drop anything in front of him. "Well, you've got to eat, don't you?"

"We'd have managed," Remus protested, finding his voice. "You didn't have to go through so much trouble."

"I didn't." With a bright smile, she turned to face him. Her eyes that day were a deep gray, and he smiled at the picture she made, a bundle of colours. "I told Molly I was coming by here and she sent me with food for the bachelors. Of course, I think she thought you'd heat it up yourself, but I figured since I was here..."

The smile she wore was contagious, and Remus broke into one of his own. Still, his tone was disapproving as he told her, "we could've handled it. I at least know how to light a fire and stir."

Tonks gave an exasperated squeal and stomped one small foot angrily. "How many times do I have to tell you, you're not an imposition on me!"

Her temper was so blatant, and yet... Remus couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "There now, no need to get so huffy. I simply meant that you didn't need to do it, but that we do appreciate it anyway."

For a moment, she seemed to be considering the idea. He waited, watching her. Finally, a small grin broke out on her face and she shrugged. "Fair enough. Are you coming in, then, or are you simply going to stand there all night?"

"Thought I'd stand here, actually," he joked, ruffling his hair with one hand. Sure, he was teasing. But he really did feel the need to stand a few steps further away. It had gotten to a point where he found it almost difficult to stand too near her. The feeling surprised him, as well as worried him a little.

But the smile she was offering him was irresistible. "Well, don't," she said, giving the chicken a slight stab. "Or I won't feed you."

Taking a deep breath to steady what might've been nerves, he took a few steps closer into the kitchen. "That's hardly fair," he told her, stopping a foot away from where she stood. "You'd still feed Sirius, though, wouldn't you?"

She seemed to be considering the question. "Probably," she admitted. "Mostly because I think you're more capable of taking care of yourself than he is."

Sadly, she was probably right. Despite living on the run for years, Sirius really did survive better when in his dog form. Remus had been on his own almost since the day he'd left Hogwarts. "Doesn't mean I enjoy cooking," he informed her with a smile. "Doesn't help that Molly took me under her wing ages ago. You know her, she'd take in every orphan off the streets if she could."

"I admit it," Tonks told him, laughing. "I can't cook to save my life. Have you tried Muggle fast food? There's this place in London-not far from here, actually. Irish place, I guess. McDonald's? Anyway, best cheeseburgers I've ever eaten-better than Molly's even. And they have these little fried pieces of chicken meat-they call them nuggets, isn't that brilliant?" She was rambling, and yet he found it endearing, really.

"I'm terrible at converting Muggle currency, actually," he told her with a wide grin. "Words were always more my thing. Numbers and I didn't click as easily."

Her gray eyes widened and she gaped at him. "I don't believe it. I'll have to bring some by one afternoon, you've been deprived."

"You don't have to-"

"I know I don't have to," she interrupted. "But I want to."

Remus let the discussion go. He wasn't in the mood to argue, not when she had been so helpful and had prepared dinner for them. Instead, he fell silent, coming up behind her and taking an appreciative sniff of the chicken in the pan. Tonks had her wand out, pointed towards the stove, keeping the large wooden spoon moving. Apparently she hadn't noticed he'd moved, though, because when she turned back around to address him, she bumped into him. In his surprise and her confusion, the spoon clattered, the pan tipped sideways, and Tonks started to fall.

With a slower reaction time than he'd have liked, but as quickly as he could, Remus reached out with both hands, one to make a grab for the pan and the other to reach for her. The commotion obviously rattled them both, as the next thing he knew, Remus had an arm around her, she was locked against him, and neither seemed to be making an effort to move away.

"Thanks," she whispered, looking up at him. The tension was thick. Both of them were breathing heavily, Remus found his head dipping slightly; her chin rising. He took a slow breath...

The whuffing sound came from behind them, and they broke apart quickly. But not in time to escape the vision of the black dog, standing in the doorway and wagging his tail. "Sirius, for the love of Godric," Remus scolded, leaning against the counter, his whole body feeling weak.

"Merlin, it's like taking in a stray," Tonks muttered, retrieving the spoon and pouring some of the mixture on to each of the plates. By the time she'd finished, Sirius had resumed his two-legged form.

A sly smile crossed the darker-haired man's face, and Remus knew instantly he'd seen the entire scene unfold. "Tonks," he asked with a cough, "joining us for dinner?" When she looked up in surprise, he nodded down at the third plate.

She blinked, then a pink colour to match the streaks in her hair crossed her cheeks. "If you don't want me to, that's all right."

"Aww, come on, little cuz, Moony here didn't say that." Sirius reached forward, ruffling her hair. "And what kind of atrocious colour is this, anyway?"

When she again looked mortified, Remus quickly jumped to her defense. "It's unique. Nothing wrong with that. You choose to grow four legs, she chooses to make her hair pink and black and spiky. What's your point?"

Placing both hands on her hips, Tonks shot a grateful look at Remus before turning a glare to Sirius. "Exactly! What do you have to say about that?"

For a second, Sirius looked bewildered, but then he laughed. "I say the two of you really need to stop ganging up on me. Come on, let's eat."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **I'm BACK! Did you guys miss me? I missed you-AND my fic kids here. Hopefully this will help to make up for my absence. Finally, some real movement! And a scene between my favorite Auror and my favorite Animagus. Thanks SO much to all of you who've been replying. That's what brought me back, despite that horrible place called the real world.

P.S. Not mine. If so, it'd be me with Mr. Lupin, not Ms. Tonks. They belong to the woman making little wizard's dreams come true...including their nightmares, of course.

* * *

"I thought you said you were going to talk to him."

Remus came to a standstill at the sound of the familiar voice. An all too familiar voice that a part of him had been trying to push out of his mind for quite some time. Hesitantly, he lingered just outside the door to the parlor. As badly as he needed to talk to Sirius, he wasn't sure he wanted to walk in on any conversations that started with Tonks' snippy, accusing tone.

His decision was made for him, though, when he heard Sirius fire back, "I have talked to him, Nymphadora, what more do you want from me? Nothing against the man, he's my best mate and all, but he can be incredibly daft when it comes to women."

Flushing a deep crimson, Remus feared he knew exactly who-and what-they were talking about. But that was impossible. He took a breath, ready to simply barge in and act like nothing was any different. He would've succeeded, too, had the next words out of Tonks' mouth not been, "Then why doesn't he like me?"

Knowing full well he should walk away instead of eavesdropping, Remus halted. To listen in or leave and come back? The proper gentleman in him pleaded with him to simply let it go. The more curious Marauder in him, however, leaned against the wall, stilling his breathing as much as possible in order to hear.

Sirius heaved a sigh so loud and overdramatic that Remus could hear it clearly from the doorway. "I don't know that he doesn't like you, Tonks. I still think he does." Remus groaned to himself, but quickly silenced it. "In fact, I know he does as a friend; as someone to talk to."

"I want more than that," Tonks said bluntly. Eyes widening, Remus bit his lower lip to keep from making a sound.

"Then go after him," Sirius snapped. "You may be my favourite little cousin, but he's still my best mate. I'm not going to just turn him over to you, you know."

Remus had to hide his laugh, as he could practically see Tonks rolling her eyes. He didn't dare trust himself to peer around the edge of the door to see, though. "You make it sound like I'm out to murder him," Tonks muttered sarcastically. "Honestly, all I'm asking is one...date type thing."

The barking laugh Sirius gave was hard to miss. "Date type thing? Is that the technical term they're using these days?"

"Sirius be...serious," Tonks protested, then burst out laughing. "Fine. Yes, it is the technical term. I want dinner, or dancing, or hell, a poetry reading in some blasted coffee shop, I don't care, Sirius, I just don't care!"

If his knees felt any weaker, Remus would've been sitting on the ground. As it was, he was leaning against the wall for support. Did she actually mean...

He got his answer not a moment later. "Remus is a quiet kind of bloke, Tonks," Sirius explained slowly. "If you rush him, you might lose any chance at all."

"Quiet is one thing. But the least he could do is notice I'm alive."

With a huff, Remus heard the shifting sounds of someone standing. Quickly, he took a few steps further back, walking towards the door slowly. If he was doing it correctly, one could almost ignore the fact that his heart was pounding, his blood was rushing through his ears, and his hands were shaking.

Tonks stormed in his direction. Her hair, a short red bob that day, flounced around her face as she walked. She was obviously angry, and he flashed a tentative smile. "Morning," he offered, praying to Merlin his voice hadn't shaken as he thought it might have.

Seeming startled to see him, and rightfully so considering the conversation he'd 'almost' walked in on, Tonks came to a halt. "Oh. Wotcher, Remus. Been here long?"

He had to stop himself from smiling at that. He was, however, completely unwilling to admit he'd been eavesdropping. "Not really. Ran out to get some bagels and juice. You're welcome to have some."

For a moment, she studied him. Those wide, deep-set eyes were a light amber colour then-startlingly similar to his own, he noticed. It was a sharp contrast to the bright red of her hair, and made his smile that much more genuine. She slightly resembled a cat that way.

His smile dropped slightly, though, when she answered him. "Better not. Have to be at the Ministry in just a few." She opened and closed her mouth once, as if trying to say something else, but she didn't. Instead, she simply lifted her hand in a small wave and turned to the door. "And so you know? Your friend in there's an insufferable idiot."

Laughing quietly, Remus nodded. "I knew that, actually."

Once she was out the door, however, Remus went hurrying into the parlor as quickly as he could while still looking inconspicious. Sirius glanced up at him, those grey eyes holding his laughter. "Heard everything, didn't you?"

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"What, are we in first year again?"

Sirius grinned, the smile lighting up an otherwise dark and taut face. "I like to think so. Come on, you look like you're about to have a panic attack. You heard every word she said didn't you?"

Sheepishly, Remus stared down at the floor as he took a seat near Sirius. "Yes," he admitted. "Well, most of it. I think I only kind of came in during the middle."

Lounging luxuriously, Sirius flashed a wry grin. "How do you know she was talking about you?"

"You said my name, prat," Remus shot back, his eyes narrowing. Of course Sirius wouldn't see the point. He'd never get what it was making Remus so nervous.

Sirius merely shrugged his shoulders. "There could always be more than one Remus."

"Right," Remus replied with a roll of his eyes. "It's such a common name, after all. Much like, say, Sirius. Oh, wait, if you're a Black, it is. Tell me, Padfoot, does your family tree have any branches?"

Seeming stunned for a moment, Sirius shifted to face his friend more directly. When he did, however, he burst into laughter. The sound reverberated through the room, and didn't stop for a full minute, despite the deadly glare Remus was shooting his so-called friend. "Well?"

Still shaking with laughter, Sirius shrugged. "I couldn't tell you, mate. You've seen the tapestry as much as I have! As soon as it starts to branch properly, you get blasted from it."

Despite the situation, Remus had to give a small chuckle. "All right, all right, fair enough, then. But honestly, Sirius... This is a big deal, isn't it?"

"Do you fancy my little cousin, Remus?"

Swallowing hard, Remus stared at his hands. "You've asked me that before," he replied defensively.

Sirius lifted an eyebrow, taking in his friend's features. "Then answer me. Because I've never gotten a definite yes or no out of you. Do you?"

"I don't know," was Remus' hesitant answer.

Giving a frustrated sigh, Sirius put both forearms on his knees, leaning forward so he was a bit closer to Remus. "It's a yes or no question, Moony. Do you have feelings for her?"

Nibbling lightly at his lower lip, Remus sighed. "Yes," he finally said, his voice barely audible. "Happy now? Yes, I feel...something. I can't tell you what, because I don't know exactly."

"How can you not know?" Sirius yelped. "Honestly, Remus, it's one way or the other!"

Getting to his feet, Remus began pacing. It was a steady walk back and forth in front of Sirius' place on the sofa. It was a familiar walk, one Remus always did when worried or bothered. Sirius' eyes followed his friend, and when Remus caught him watching, he cracked a small smile. "You don't understand, Sirius. You've always been better at this than I am. Yes, I do have feelings for her. Is it love, or something that would become so? I'm not sure. She's a good friend, a brilliant witch, and..."

"And good-looking," Sirius supplied with a wry look.

Flushing, Remus dipped his head. "Yes, of course. But that's not the point."

Grinning widely, Sirius pretended to be fascinated by something in the corner of the room. He stared so intently that Remus had to actually turn around before realizing nothing was there. "Doesn't hurt thooough," Sirius added in a sing song tone.

At that, even Remus had to laugh quietly. "Of course it doesn't hurt. But what's a girl like that want with a man like me?"

For a drawn out time, Sirius simply stared up at the other man. Remus had stopped pacing, but he had progressed to wringing his hands together. "You'd have to ask her," Sirius said quietly. For the most part, Sirius Black was still the playful person he'd been as a teen. But every once in a while, Remus saw the darkness of Azkaban come out in him. That was one of those moments.

Sirius lowered his eyes to the ground before raising them back up to Remus. With a slow sigh, he patted the spot at his side, shifting on the couch to make room. Tentatively, Remus stepped closer, settling into the open space. "See, Remus, she may be my favourite cousin. And you may be my closest friend. But as well as I know you two, I'm not a mind reader. I can't speak for either of you."

"Did she really say all of that?" Remus asked, looking skeptical. His eyebrows lifted and his lips turned out in what was unmistakably a pout. "I mean...me? She wants me, of all people, to ask her..."

"On a date," Sirius finished. "Yes, she said you, she meant you, she's even willing to go to, and I quote, 'a poetry reading in some blasted coffee shop', so long as it's with you."

Sighing, Remus leaned back against the couch, arms crossed in front of his chest. When had this all become so complicated? A simple friendship with a young Auror had turned around on him completely. "I don't know what to do," he finally admitted.

Sirius, far from giving the sympathetic and understanding smile one would think he'd give, considering his words of a moment ago, only rolled his eyes. "Moony, I swear, do I have to do everything for you?"

Flashing a smirk, Remus glanced sideways at the dark-haired man. "Yes, actually."

"Would you like me to pass her some parchment in class?" Sirius teased. "Meet Remus after class in the Great Hall. Signed, S.B. What do you think?"

Giving a chuckle, Remus pretended to nod eagerly. "Yes! That's perfect, how are you going to give it to her? Pass it to Molly to hand to her under the table?"

Snapping his fingers, Sirius gave a triumphant smile. "Exactly right, old friend! How'd you guess?"

"Haven't you heard, Padfoot?" Remus added jokingly. "I'm the smart one. You're just a troublemaker."

"You forgot annoying," Sirius added with a grin. His whole face lit up as he asked, "So, you're going to ask her out somewhere, aren't you?"

Remus didn't even know what he was saying as the word 'yes' crossed his lips. He'd already said the words when he realized that he had. And it was Sirius. The man wouldn't let him back out of such a statement.

"Excellent," Sirius replied approvingly. Nudging Remus' calf with his toe, he snickered. "Now move, you're in my way."

Trying to look annoyed, but really just showing a baffled expression at the conversation they'd just had, Remus sighed and got to his feet. "You know, sometimes, you really are the most selfish prat I've ever met." Despite his sacrifices that he'd made. It was only from time to time, anyway.

Taking full advantage of the space he'd been left with, Sirius barely shrugged as he stretched the length of the sofa. "So I've heard." Yawning, he muttered, "Didn't I hear you say something about picking up breakfast?"

"Sure, if you're willing to take your lazy arse in there and get it." The innocent expression Remus tried to use wasn't nearly as convincing as Sirius' had been, and he couldn't quite hide the smirk on his face.

Barely even shooting an expression of surprise, Sirius merely nestled his head into the cushions. "Not all that hungry, I suppose. Did I hear you invite dear Nymphadora to stay?"

Blushing a bit, Remus nodded, walking towards the door. He'd be bringing the food in there. He always was a fool where Sirius was concerned. "She had to be at work shortly, though."

Sirius burst out laughing. At Remus' puzzled and slightly appalled expression, Sirius held up one hand, buying himself a minute until he could breathe again. "No, no, don't think..." Taking a slow breath and exhaling through his nose, he sat up enough to meet Remus' eyes more directly. "You're not the only one shy, apparently. The whole reason Tonks came over was because she has the late shift tonight. She won't be at the Ministry for hours."

"You mean..."

Nodding, Sirius grinned. The expression 'the cat that ate the canary' flashed distinctively through Remus' head. "It means, Moony, that my little cousin is relatively sure you heard more than you wanted her to believe that you did. She's scared to even look at you."

Remus groaned, lifting a hand to rub at his temples. "Godric, I'm confused. What do I do now? Do I go on with...well, the dinner thing?"

A couch cushion went flying through the air and promptly hit Remus, much the way Tonks' pillow had hit Sirius. "Do you still want to have an evening with her, you prat?"

Suppressing the childish urge to stick his tongue out at the other man, Remus nodded slowly. "Of course I do."

"Then don't let this stop you. If nothing else, this gave you the push you needed."

"You helped," Remus reminded him, smiling gratefully.

For a moment, Sirius actually coloured, but he looked back up with a wide grin. "And don't you forget it. When the two of you are off making beautiful children together, you'll name one Sirius and your debt will be repaid." Remus opened his mouth to fire off a retort, but Sirius gave a wave of his hand. "Now, weren't you going to feed me?"

For his effort-or lack there of-Sirius found a blueberry bagel thrown directly at his head. For someone who wasn't exactly athletic, or all that coordinated, Remus' aim had been nearly perfect.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Me again. Them again. The story has taken its own unexpected twist on me. Let's hope it pays off, shall we?

So we're aware, these guys aren't mine. If they were mine, I'd be selling my old handbags on eBay for charity.

* * *

He'd never felt quite so awkward in all his thirty-five years. For all his shyness, Remus was rather sure-footed and relatively confident. He'd always carried himself well, and spoke properly, and, his condition not withstanding, had been pretty sure of himself.

But standing there in front of a girl-a woman, he had to correct himself-who he was almost sure had feelings about him that she truly shouldn't... He never should've gone down when he'd heard her walk in. When he heard her greet Sirius, he should've turned and taken off in the opposite direction. Instead, he'd slipped down the stairs, Sirius' words and his promise to his friend running through his head. Taking a deep breath, he flashed her a smile, but it faltered slightly at the expression on her face. Tonks looked angry and ready to take on the world.

She flopped herself into a chair in the corner of the sitting room, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Concerned, but unsure of how exactly to show it, Remus took a few hesitant steps in her direction, pausing near the fireplace. "Everything all right, love?" he asked cautiously, bending his tall frame until he was seated at the hearth. Despite the fact that it was only late October, the air had taken on an almost bitter chill, and the fire blazed strong.

"Oh, just peachy," was Tonks' more than slightly sarcastic reply.

Startled, Remus sat up a bit straighter, watching her from his position. He felt almost vulnerable with her so much higher than he, but he thought it might help her. "Want to talk about it?" he questioned.

For a moment, her eyes narrowed, as if suspicious of his offer. It was only seconds, though, before she sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "It's that Umbridge woman," she muttered, annoyed. "I thought things would ease up a little with her at Hogwarts, but instead it seems to be getting worse."

Dolores Umbridge was a name Remus knew all too well. Lifting his eyebrows, he watched her a moment before speaking. "What's going on with her? Giving you a bit of trouble at the Ministry, is she?"

"You could say that," Tonks replied bitterly. "Though I think in the end she's making more trouble for you than me."

His stomach dropped and his eyes lifted to hers slowly. "Oh?" he asked, trying to seem as nonchalant as possible.

Her cheeks coloured and she nodded slowly. "Yeah," she murmured. "We had it out yesterday. Ended with me telling her to blow goats and get back to the school and butt into someone else's business."

Despite the fact that a part of him already knew, Remus watched her carefully as he asked, "May I ask what about?"

"Werewolf laws and control." Her voice came out in a soft whisper. Tonks seemed to be purposely avoiding his eyes, and he studied her face carefully.

Swallowing hard, he bit his lower lip. "Why's that?"

Tonks looked surprised, her eyes-light blue at that moment-widening slowly. "Why wouldn't I? You know how she is. Evil woman, against anyone less than her idea of perfect. Who's she to say what's right and what's wrong?"

With a small sigh, Remus leaned back against the worn black brick, the scratchy feeling almost soothing rather than uncomfortable. "Unfortunately," he began slowly, "Fudge has given her plenty of say. And her fight is a strong one. You'd be fighting a losing battle if you continue, Tonks."

"But why shouldn't I?" she countered, unfolding from her ball and leaning forward so she was somewhat closer to him. "You can't possibly find her theories about...about..."

"My kind?"

"Not what I was going to say, Remus," Tonks concluded, though there was a small smile on her face. "Anyway, you can't possibly agree with her. She'd have you all tagged and rounded up and banished to Romania like the dragons if she could."

He couldn't argue that. For a while, he'd tried to join in the fight against Umbridge and those who agreed with her himself. It was harder, though, when it was obviously a matter of defending himself, and he found it somewhat easier simply to do the writing and the research from behind the scenes. "No," he finally admitted slowly. "I definitely don't. But it's my fight, not yours."

Almost immediately, he knew he'd said the wrong thing. Her eyes flashed a darker blue, and she glared at him. It was one of those moments where she looked eerily like Sirius, especially with her hair so dark that day. "Your fight, Remus?" she challenged. "Because there's no other werewolves in Britain? Because this affects only you, somehow?"

"I just meant that-"

"Well, you're wrong. Besides which, who's to say that I can't stand up for my friends when I need it? I'd defend Sirius the same way if Kingsley hadn't put his foot down about it." As she finished her rant, she lifted her chin, which set her even further above him.

Remus groaned quietly, hanging his head for a moment. "I only meant that you needn't be involved in a battle you can't win. Fighting Umbridge's ways will only jeopardize your position in the Ministry." His voice was soft, gentle, and he reached out a hand.

She seemed to be staring at the hand skeptically, as if afraid he were going to mutter a curse and a spell would fire from it. When nothing happened, however, she slowly got to her feet and reached out her hand to his. At his gentle tug, she allowed him to guide her to his side, her shorter legs folding more easily than his long ones.

"I want to," Tonks protested quietly. "I...it's the least I can do, you know."

His smile was somewhat wistful as he shrugged his shoulders. "You don't need to be doing anything. Not for me, at least." It'd be selfish of him to want it. Just like it was selfish of him to want anything else from her.

But the girl next to him shook her head with a small smile of her own. "You don't get it, Remus. This is something I want to do. You don't deserve to be treated like that." Reaching up, she held up a long piece of her own dark hair and waved it in his face, making him laugh. "I'm not exactly normal, either, you know."

"So I've noticed," Remus agreed, his voice taking on a teasing tone. "Incredibly abnormal, from what I've seen. Oh, and you're a metamorphmagus, too."

"Mean!" Tonks declared, smacking him lightly in the upper arm.

Laughing, Remus grabbed at his arm, shaking his head. "And violent, too. But honestly, Tonks, don't put yourself on the line for me. Or," he added quickly, "any of the rest of us, either."

Slowly, her eyes narrowed again. "Remus," she began, but he cut her off.

"Discussion closed. And I didn't mean to infuriate you, honestly."

Her lips turned to a pout, but she let the subject drop. For then, at least. "Well...you did. But you can make it up to me."

Despite the fact that he knew where it was going, he didn't argue. Despite the chill that ran through him, he turned his head so he was facing her more directly. "Oh?" Remus questioned. "How's that?"

A cheeky grin crossed her face. "Have dinner with me. And don't fight with me the entire time that I don't have to do it."

But this time, he had no intentions of arguing. Instead, he smiled somewhat serenely. "Would you believe that's the reason I came to find you in the first place?"

Eyes widening in surprise, Tonks paused before she could reply. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I wanted to find you and ask you to dinner," Remus replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "That is, if you want to."

She laughed at that, shaking her head so her hair fell over her shoulders. "Remus Jerkface Lupin, you're impossible. I just told you I..." Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of the mischievous look on his face. "You're a right prat."

"And you're right gullible," he concluded. "Tomorrow night, perhaps?"

Tonks watched him for a moment before nodding. Her eyes seemed to be flickering over his face, and he held back the urge to cover his scars with his hand. Instead, he met her stare firmly. "Good," she agreed. "Tomorrow night it is."

Remus knew from the snickers he heard nearby that they'd been overheard. And for once, he found himself not caring if that was the case at all.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Wait, WHAT?? A Saving Me update?? Who knew it could be done! Not-so-funny story? Chapter 10 was done a while ago. I saved it and started working on Chapter 11. But when I went to save Chapter 11, I happened to save it over Chapter 10. Which had to be rewritten. Hence your all together far too long wait. Hope all my readers haven't vanished! The good news from this story is, Chapter 11 is almost done already! So the next update will be much sooner.

Now, we took a bit of a turn in this part. I mentioned in the last chapter's intro that things had taken a spin in my brain and some things were going to change in order to get to the finale I want. Well, we're getting a bit of a point of view change, and from here on out, they'll fluctuate. Maybe someday in the future I'll go back and edit around and add a few more from this point, but for now, just assume from here on out you're getting both.

Thanks for sticking out the wait, everyone! And, as always, these guys belong to Jo and not myself, for I'd never have been clever enough to pair a metamorphmagus with a werewolf.

* * *

Tonks stared into the mirror in the front hall of 12 Grimmauld Place. The not-so-dulcet sounds of her great-Aunt's voice bellowed in her ear. Rolling her eyes in annoyance at the portrait, she reached over and retucked the draperies covering the dark-haired woman. Wahlburgha Black's screamings about filthy blood and dirty half-breeds began to subside. Turning back to the mirror, Tonks took another long, appraising look at her appearance.

"You're so vain," a voice behind her began singing slightly off-key, "you prob'ly think this song is about you. You're so va-"

"Shut it," Tonks commanded, shooting Sirius a death glare from the mirror. Her second-cousin smiled smugly and leaned against the doorframe looking back at her reflection. "You can't bloody well sing and that's one of the worst muggle songs I've ever heard."

Sirius merely shrugged and walked a few steps closer, beginning to eye her outfit as skeptically as she had. "You look silly," he declared after a moment.

Turning to gape at him, she let out a protesting squeak. "Do I look that bad?" she asked, actually sounding a bit hurt.

He began circling her, looking her up and down with a mockingly appraising eye. "S'all right, I guess," he began, but another sharp look from Tonks stopped him. "Fine, you look good. Remus would probably say better than good, if you can get him to mumble anything looking at you in it."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Tonks asked, eyes narrowing curiously. She turned to look at her reflection yet again. She'd chosen a long black skirt that brushed her ankles when she walked, but it was tight. It hugged her hips and she felt like a tart under Sirius' reproachful look. She'd taken care with her top, too, choosing a satin blue wrap-around top that brought out the midnight colour her eyes were that day. Topping it all off, she'd kept her hair almost normal looking, a wavy, auburn style that fell just below her shoulders.

Sirius grinned and opened his mouth to answer. Before he could, though, he caught the eye of someone coming up behind her. Tonks didn't have to stare into the mirror to know who it was. Whirling around on her heel, she smiled brightly as Remus descended the stairs. "Wotcher, Remus," she offered up, tossing her hair over her shoulder in what she hoped was a flirtatious manner.

True to Sirius' word, Remus' jaw dropped slightly, and he remained silent for a solid minute. Lifting her eyebrows, Tonks shot him a saucy smirk, but not before noticing Sirius' pronounced wink. "I...you...you look amazing," Remus finally stammered, his cheeks going a bit pink.

His reaction couldn't have been more perfect, and Tonks felt a huge weight lift off of her chest. She took the moment of trying to avoid Sirius' smug expression to look over her date for the evening. It was the first time she'd ever actually seen him in jeans, or most forms of muggle clothing, for that matter. His shirt was a simple, blue and white striped button down, and he'd added a black leather jacket that she recognised as Sirius'.

"Not looking so bad yourself," she offered, though she knew her face showed she meant much more. He was actually looking like someone she'd rather just stay home and snog, but she had the vague idea that with Remus Lupin, that wasn't an option.

Another moment of silence passed between them before Remus glanced sideways. Sirius was still standing there, his smirk more apparent than ever. Remus lifted his eyebrows. Sirius lifted his in return. Remus raised his a bit higher. Sirius gave a tiny shake of his head. Finally, Remus made a blatant nodding gesture with his head towards the door Sirius had come in from. "Oooh," Sirius drew out, as if only just beginning to understand. "You want me to _go_!"

"That would be ideal," Remus began, his tone even, though Tonks thought she caught a fleeting look of mischief crossing his features.

Heaving a sigh, Sirius began taking slow steps backward. "Fine," he said, sniffing in feigned exaggeration. "You two just run off and have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do--which leaves you fairly well open, you know. Don't worry, Moony, I won't wait up."

That time, Tonks definitely caught the blush that crossed Remus' cheeks. Grinning up at him, she slipped her arm through his, then shot a teasing look at her older cousin. "Good," she replied cheerfully. "I'd hate for you to lose any beauty sleep while I'm out shagging your best mate, you need all you can get."

Remus blushed harder, but it was worth it for the stunned expression on Sirius' face. He blinked incoherently a few times, then began to walk away. Before he left the room, however, he paused at Tonks' side, whispering into her ear, "Don't you dare hurt him. I mean it, Nymphadora, I know jinxes that you only wish you'd picked up in school."

It was her turn to blush, and she narrowed her eyes at his exiting frame. "How do you live with him?" she asked, feigning annoyance when more than anything she'd become anxious that she'd do just that.

"Practise," he replied, still pink-faced but laughing softly. "He was worse when he and James got together." A passing darkness flickered in his eyes, but he turned to her and gave her arm a gentle squeeze before releasing it. "We should get going before he comes back. If he sees us still standing here, he'll start pleading to come along."

"But he can't--" she began, but Remus cut her off with a small nod. She understood quickly. It had to be difficult living with Sirius under such circumstances, especially when Remus got to slip off and do things for the Order and Sirius had to stay put. "Any ideas where we're going?" she asked as he turned and began locking the many bolts behind him.

Peeking over his shoulder at her, he shrugged. "Not really. Thought I'd let you choose, if you wanted."

She rolled her eyes in feigned annoyance and sighed. "Why would I want to do that?" she questioned, slipping her hand into his the moment he took a step off of the front stoop. Remus looked at her in mild surprise, but smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. "The guy's supposed to choose for the first date, honestly, don't you know that?"

"I wasn't aware of this development," Remus began teasingly, guiding her down Grimmauld Place and up toward The Strand. "Well, at least tell me this much. Are you feeling something casual or something more fancy?"

Tonks flashed a grin. She knew he'd expect to pay for a first date, and she also knew he was struggling with meager finances. "I've an idea," she began slowly, "but you're not allowed to laugh." When he didn't answer, merely lifted an eyebrow, she continued. "The place I told you about. McDonald's? Food's excellent if you don't mind being surrounded by a small army of children."

For a moment, he seemed to hesitate, but he nodded slowly. "I love children. I don't mind at all. That sounds wonderful."

It was unexplainable the rush that filled her at his words. She was only twenty-three, it wasn't like she was expecting to have children any time soon. But just knowing that this man that she enjoyed spending so much time with--and, if she was allowed to be honest with herself, had feelings for--loved kids as much as she did... Well, it certainly left a warm feeling in the depths of her stomach.

Chalking the feeling up to the fact that he'd agreed with her dinner choice, and that she was quite hungry, Tonks grinned and shrugged a little. "You'll like it, I promise," she reassured, glancing around to get her bearings, and then guiding him in the direction of the nearest restaurant. "There's loads of these all over the city. I'm pretty sure there's one up on the corner over here."

She could've squealed from excitement when she saw that she'd been right, and there was, indeed, a McDonald's on the corner. With the exception of her tripping in her haste to get there and careening into a reassuring and considerate Remus, they made it without incident.

He held the door open for her, just like a gentlemen in one of those muggle novels her mum was always reading. His smile even made her think of them, gentle and trusting. Beaming, Tonks led the way inside and placed their orders, only receiving one odd look from the pimply teenager at the counter when they had a hushed conversation about converting their galleons and sickles into pounds and shillings.

Finding herself sitting across from Remus made Tonks simply smile wider. She dragged a chip through the catsup and looked up at him, wide-eyed. "Delicious, isn't it?" she questioned, watching him nibble politely at his food.

Wiping the corner of his mouth with a paper napkin, Remus nodded. "Excellent. You're right, just about as good as Molly's. Bread's a little dry compared to hers, but compared to cooking it myself, it's not half bad."

"I thought you could cook?" Tonks asked suspiciously, tilting her head. A wave of red-brown hair fell over one eye and she tossed it back.

Remus grinned. "I'm not terrible at it. Been living on my own long enough I sort of have to be able to. And besides, if I didn't, Sirius would starve. I'll just always take someone else's cooking over my own."

Giving a small nod, Tonks considered this. "You ought to cook for me sometime. I'm dreadful at it, wind up eating down at the Leaky nearly half the time. Mum's afraid I'm going to give myself a coronary at this rate. Makes me come home every few weekends. You ought to come with me sometime, I'm sure she'd love to see you again." Why she was rambling, she didn't quite know and didn't want to dwell on.

Remus nodded slightly, but his smile was still in place, small though it was. "Maybe. I haven't seen either of your parents in years. Might be nice."

"Course it will be," Tonks confirmed brightly. It was amazing to her how few lulls there'd been in conversation. Why was this man, thirteen years her senior, so incredibly easy to talk to? Why was there no first date awkwardness, as there'd been with every single other boy she'd ever gone out with?

She studied him for a moment. He was leaning casually back in his booth, having finished both his cheeseburger and his chips. There was still an apple pie left, but it sat in front of him untouched. He'd offered it to her twice, saying there was no way he could eat that much, but she'd refused. Strands of light brown hair fell into his eyes, and he'd occasionally make an effort to push them back with his fingertips.

Tonks smiled softly to herself. She hadn't _wanted_ this. Not really. People would talk. They'd make fun. Both of them would face ridicule. But she wanted this. She wanted him. And she'd be damned if anyone was going to stop her. If she wasn't mistaken, he was interested in her, too. It was enough. She could do the rest from there.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** You guys have been so awesome with such wonderful and inspiring reviews. Not to mention some great advice! And DragonChaos, yours came in the middle of a really rotten day, so thank you so much more than you can know. Because of all your positive comments, chapter 11 flowed much more easily and quickly than a few previous chapters have been. Ought to wait to post this tomorrow night, as it's a full moon, but alas, I figure Remus will be busy!

And, of course, Moony and Padfoot don't belong to me. Ooooh how I wish they did!!!.

* * *

"You didn't kiss her?"

Sirius' voice echoed throughout 12 Grimmauld Place, and Remus stared at him in wide-eyed horror. "Do you think you could say it a bit louder, Sirius? I'm not sure they heard you in Portugal."

The dark-haired man began to pace though, shaking his head. "I knew you were rubbish with women, but this is ridiculous. You were on a date, yes? One usually kisses the girl at the end of the date. How could you be so bloody stupid?"

Appalled, Remus could only watch from his position in the large easy chair as Sirius made a path back and forth across the room. "You're being irritating," Remus countered. "It's not like you're dating right now or anything."

The look Sirius shot him was so icy, Remus actually drew back. "As if that's by choice," he snapped. "Think I'd be in here while you're gallavanting around London wasting time with someone who obviously would love to be snogging your face off if I had a choice?"

Remus at least had the decency to wince. Of course Sirius wouldn't be. But to say he was wasting his time... "You know, I'm not completely stupid," he began, but cut himself off with a roll of Sirius' eyes.

"I know you're not," Sirius commented with annoyance. "Hell, you always were the smartest of all of us. But honestly, Moony, the girl's obviously crazy about you. Just make your move already."

Shifting his eyes away from the steely gray ones of his friend, Remus shrugged his shoulders. "Not that easy."

"And why not?"

If Remus were the growling sort--on days that weren't full moons, that was--he probably would have just then. Sirius could be so bloody frustrating when he wanted to. "Because," he began pointedly, "she's this beautiful, smart, young Auror. I'm me."

"No, really?" Sirius reported sarcastically. "I thought you were me. Which you're obviously not because I'd at least have had the brains to make a move on her by now."

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Sirius!" Remus snapped, getting to his own feet. It wasn't characteristic for him to raise his voice and argue, but Sirius had always been one of the ones who could pull that from him. "I'm pushing forty years old over here, what do you want from me? She could have absolutely any man in London. She'll move on from this...whatever it is, and then where will that leave me?"

For the first time since he'd started pestering Remus about the date, Sirius' eyes softened. The stormy-sea colour they had been eased back into their natural silver. "You know, I know her pretty well. We may have just met recently, but she's over here almost as much as you are. Plus, she's family."

Remus was listening intently, though he was still standing and glaring at Sirius, his arms crossed in front of him. "Your point?" he asked, coolly.

A small but amused smile crossed Sirius' face. "My point is, Moony, that she's got it bad. This isn't some puppy love type thing."

"But how do you _know_?" Remus asked insistingly, his eyes wide and just a bit hopeful. Maybe Sirius had picked up on something he'd so blatantly missed.

His dark-haired best friend took a seat, curling in a large, squashy armchair in the corner, looking quite similar to how his dog-form would in the same location. "I know because I watch her," Sirius said simply.

Rolling his eyes, Remus began pacing the path that Sirius had just abandoned. "Watch her do what? What is it about her? How can you possibly know something that important just by watching someone?"

"Easy there, mate," Sirius chided, as Remus' ramblings grew so intense he ran shin-first into a small table. A wry smile flickered on his features as Remus swore softly and gave the table a small kick. "Have you not seen the way she looks at you?"

Remus threw himself into the armchair opposite Sirius with a groan and rubbed his shin. "You're not being all that helpful. Of course I see her look at me."

Shaking his head, Sirius' smile widened. "No, I know she looks at you. Do you see the _way_ she looks at you, though, mate?"

Pausing, Remus took a long moment to think it over. He'd always thought he was just imagining it. Hoping that her eyes lit up in his presence, her smile widening when he walked into a room. Part of him had almost hoped he was imagining the attentive way she'd listen to him, or the soft giggle she gave when laughing at his jokes. "Why?" he asked softly, rubbing his temples with his thumb and forefinger. "Tonks is amazing, she could have anyone."

"You're starting to babble and repeat yourself," Sirius pointed out, a laugh in his pale eyes. "I've told you, you need to talk to her. I can't answer things I don't know."

The corners of his lips turning up slightly, Remus lifted an eyebrow. "But I thought you knew her _so_ well," he taunted.

Sirius gave one of his typical barking laughs. "I've my suspicions, Moony, but that's not to say that I can guarantee anything. I obviously don't think you're all bad or I'd never have kept you around as my best mate, you know."

For a moment, Remus only gaped at him, but then his face went slightly pink. "That was almost touching, Sirius," he said, somewhat bashfully.

"Don't get used to it," Sirius replied gruffly, but there was a bit of pink in his face as well. "It's true, though. You're a good friend, and she probably sees that. Probably wonders if you'd be good for other things. Merlin, this is awkward," he continued, glancing away from Remus and toward the fireplace.

"Thought we were done with all this years ago, didn't we?" Remus teased half-heartedly.

Sirius glanced up at his friend and grinned. "Yeah, after James got married. You weren't dating, I couldn't be bothered, and Peter..." His voice trailed off and he gave a small shrug. "Well. Regardless, I never thought I'd be handing out advice to you on dating my little cousin. Course, last time I saw her she was practically an infant."

Which wasn't exactly helping in Remus' eyes. In fact, it caused him to drop his gaze to his hands, folded neatly in his lap. "Toddler, more like," he said quietly. "The way to a girl's heart isn't exactly to tell her you remember when she was born. She's invited me out to her place...well, her parents' place, more like, you know?"

Eyes widening, Sirius grinned even wider. "Meeting the parents?" he taunted. "I'm so proud, have you two set a date yet?"

"I can still hex you, you know," Remus shot back, though he was trying not to laugh. "Besides, it's not like I've never met Ted or Andromeda."

"But," Sirius taunted, "you've never met them as their daughter's boooyfrieeeend."

Remus flicked out his wand so quickly that Sirius didn't have time to react. "Hey!" the dark-haired man yelped, as he found himself hanging in the air by his ankle.

"Ahh, I've missed that sight," Remus muttered appreciatively. "Now. Let's get a couple of things straight. I'm not her boyfriend, this isn't a 'meet the parents' sort of thing, and you are never to use that annoying little playyard sing-song with me again. Are we clear, Padfoot?"

The look he was receiving would've killed most men. Remus merely smiled and lowered a grumbling Sirius back to the ground.

"Not really," Remus informed him smugly. "Had to grow up at some point though, yeah? None of you were around and..." That time, his own voice trailed off. It wasn't a part of life he liked talking about, and he was hoping Sirius didn't either. "Anyway, had to learn to take care of myself, didn't I? No one to hide behind anymore."

"Sad," Sirius replied, sighing. He looked bored, though, and Remus could tell he was shifting anxiously. "Going upstairs to feed Buckbeak. Need anything?"

Determined to break the strain he'd put on the room, Remus smiled hopefully. "Oh, bring me back a dead rat, would you? If you can wrestle it from Buckbeak?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, but was back to smiling good-naturedly. "I'll let you have first dibs."


End file.
